Electrode terminal



sept. zo, 1938. L KRESGE :5130368 ELECTRODE TERMINAL Filed May 29. 1936 Z ff 2716.5

29 Hlm/@y A A695565 47 INVENTOR Mmm" H VQZZZW ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 20, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRODE TERMINAL Harry L. Kresge, New York, N. Y. Application May 29, 1936, Serial No. 83,099

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in neon signs and more particularly it pertains to connectors and mounts for the electrodes thereof.

In signs of the afore-mentioned type a common form of electrode is that in which a tubular member terminates in a flattened portion, and while the invention of the present application may with slight changes be adapted to other types of electrodes, it is particularly adaptedat least in the present presentation thereof, to neon lamp tubes of the type above mentioned.

In neon signs it often results that the lamp tube will contact the housing in which it terminates resulting in the accumulation of moistureand the short circuit of the electrode circuit, and it is an object of the present invention to provide means which will support the lamp tube and maintain it at all times out of contacting engagement with the housing in which it terminates.

It is a further object of the invention so toconstruct the device that a highly satisfactory electrical connection between the source of power and the lamp tube is provided.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a new and novel means whereby at least two of such lamp tubes may be rigidly connected together.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a new and novel device, the use of which will permit of two of such lamp tubes being efficiently electrically connected together.

Still a further object of the invention resides in the provision of a new and novel construction which is adaptable to either outdoor or indoor use.

Still a further object of the invention resides in a simplified construction which is relatively cheap of manufacture, simple in operation and readily adaptable to use in connection with the various sizes of apparatus.

With the above and other objects in view reference will be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a detail sectional view illustrating a lamp of the type above mentioned mounted in a housing and carried therein by a'device constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a similar view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, said Figure 4 illustrating in dotted lines 'the method in which the lamp tube is supported out of contacting engagement with the housing in which it terminates even though there may be a tendency on the part of the lamp tube to sag,

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view,

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a modified form of the invention,

Figure 'l is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line l-l of Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view on a slightly enlarged scale taken substantially on the line 8-8 of Figure 7,

Figure 9 is a detail perspective view of one of the elements employed in connection with the present invention.

In the drawing and referring particularly to Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, the reference numeral 20 designates a tubular housing of conventional form. The housing comprises a body portion having an extension 2| and a flange 22 by means of which it is mounted in a sign box or housing, not herein illustrated. 'Ihe reference numeral 23 designates a terminal of a suitable source of power and in accordance with the present invention, a compressible resilient electrical conductor 24 may be employed. This electrical conductor 24 preferably consists of a coil spring rigidly connected to the terminal 23 as at 25 and having a free end portion 26 projecting into the housing 20. The reference numeral 21 designates the neon lamp tube, and in the present illustration of the invention said tube 21 is of the type which terminates in a fiattened end portion 28. The reference character 29 designates a disk-like member, and as best illustrated in Figure 5, this disk-like member 29 has two projecting lugs 3l extending from one face thereof, the lugs being arranged in space'd relation to each other. These lugs may be formed by cutting out the disk-like member 29 as at 30 and pressing the lugs from the body portion thereof. The disk-like member 29 also has a pair of projecting lugs 32 projecting from the opposite face to that from which the lugs 3l project, and these lugs 32 are preferably forrned by cutting the disk-like member 29 and forcing the same therefrom as illustrated in Figure 9.

The projecting lugs 3l are adapted to grip the opposite sides of the flattened portion 28 of the tube 21, this gripping of the flattened portion` 28 by the lugs 3l serving to position the disk-like member 29 upon Athe end of the tube 21. 'Ihe disk-like member 29 is also provided with a centrally disposed perforation 33, and this perforation 33 ls adapted to receive the electrical conductors 34 of the tube 21. These electrical conductors 34 serve as additional means to retain the disk-like member 29 in position upon the end of the tube 21, and this function is accomplished by twisting the conductors 34 as designated at 35 one or more times about each other after which the conductors are passed under the lugs 32 which are then compressed or otherwise distorted into gripping engagement with the conductors, after which the conductors may be clipped ofi. By this means the disk-like member 29 will be retained upon the end of thetube 21 and the lugs 3| will serve to maintain the proper relative position o'f the disk-like member 29 and the tube 21 While the conductors 34 will prevent accidental displacement of the disk-like member 29 relative to the tube 21. K

In practice, it is intended that the disk-like member 29 will at all times be of a diameter or transverse dimension which will be greater than the diameter or transverse dimension of the tube 21. This construction is highly desirable since it prevents contact of the tube 21 with the inner face of the housing wall should there be any tendency on the part of the tube to sag as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 4 when the end of the tube is placed in position in the housing 20.

As heretofore stated, the resilient conductor 26 is rigidly attached to the terminal 25 within the housing 29. 'I'he end of the tube 21 with the disk-like member 29 attached, When it is inserted in the housing 20 will place the conductor 26 under compression and thereby establish a good electrical connection between the disk-like member 29 and the flexible electrical conductor 26. In the construction of neon signs every effort is made to center the tube 21 in the housing 20 but it often results that due to sagging of certainrparts the tube contacts the housing 29 on the inner face of its walls at one point or another, and the accumulating of moisture will result in deterioration of the tube and a consequent short circuit of its circuit, rendering the tube inoperative. In the present device, such condition cannot exist for the reason that any sagging of the parts will cause the edge of the disk-like member 29 to engage the wall of the housing 29, for example, as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 4, and since as above stated, the diameter or transverse dimension of the disk-like member 29 is greaer than the diameter or transverse dimension of the tube 21,'the diskelike member will contact the housing 20 and support the tube 21 out of contact therewith. Therefore, it will be apparent that the present invention will at all times serve to prevent contact of the tubular member 21 with the housing 2U. l

In addition to the function above described for the disk-like member 29, this member provides means for attaching two tubes 21 in end to end relation and electrically connecting them. When the device is employed in this manner the lugs 32 of one disk-like member are passed through the openings 39 of the other disk-like member and turned over as designated at 40 in Figure 8. This construction firmly connects two tubes 21 in alinement with each other both electrically and mechanically. In such 'installations it is common to employ a two part housing 4I. the parts of which may be secured together to form the housing b'y suitable bands 42 preferably of wire, the housing being formed of suitable rigid material and provided with aligned openings 43 which receive the ends of the tubes 21 to retain the tubes in aligned end to end position, as illustrated in 'Figure 6.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides means for electrically connecting the electrodes of neon signs to a source of power, which device is also capable of use for connecting two or even more neon tubes together in operative relation.

Furthermore, the device is of relatively simple and cheap construction 4and in actual practice has proven highly satisfactory.

While the invention has been herein described in its preferred form, it is not'to be limited to the specific constructions herein shown but may be practiced in other forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. A terminal for neon lamp electrodes comprising in combination with a neon lamp having a attened end and an electrical conductor projecting from said flattened end, a metal disk-like member, a pair of spaced ears projecting from said disk-like member upon one side thereof for embracing engagement with the ilattened end of the neon lamp, and means for electrically connecting the electrical conductor of said neon lamp to said disk-like member, said last mentioned means comprising a pair Vof spaced ears projecting from the disk-like member upon the opposite side thereof with respect to said first mentioned ears.

2. A terminal for neon lamp electrodes comprising in combination with a neon lamp having a flattened end and an electrical conductor projecting from said flattened end, a metal disk-like member, a pair of spaced ears projecting from said disk-like member in one direction for embracing engagement with the flattened end of the neon lamp, and means for electrically connecting the electrical conductor of said neon lamp to said disk-like member, said last mentioned means comprising a pair of spaced ears struck from the body of said disk-like member and projecting from the disk-like member in a direction opposite to the first mentioned ears.

HARRY L. KRESGE. 

